Cranking device for internal-combustion engines.



-. J. F. OBERT. GBANKING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1912.

Patented Nov.4, 1913.

. M w M 6 r/// I 4 a w v m m M A I w% UNITED srrnrns Parana ornion.

JQHN F. OBERT, OF LGS AIJGELES, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 7, 1912. Serial No. 713,760.

To all whom 2'6 may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN F. OBERT, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cranking Devices for Internal-Combustion *Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cranking devices for internal combustion en actuated thereby but which will be disengageably connected up therewith when desired for actuation and in such a manner as to be automatically released upon a sudden backward movement of the engine shaft.

A still further object is the provision of a starting crank formed in two separate parts with a friction clutch arranged therebetween, said clutch being manually set by the operator but automatically disengaged whenever the engine kicks backward.

Another object is the provision of a friction clutch arrangement between I the two parts of a starting crank and in which said parts are normally clutched together and other means whereby a kicking of the engine may either disengage the clutch or bodily move the clutch and crank so as to disengage one part of the latter from the engine shaft.

With these objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts parts in their normally disengaged inactive vertical transverse sectional View taken upon line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a similar sec- }tional view taken in the opposite direction, and, Fig. 5 is another form of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the usual form of notched end 10 is employed upon the engine shaft 11 provided with the fly wheel 12 and whereby one portion 13 of a starting crank is engaged therewith by means of the pin 14 transversely mounted thereon, said crank portion having a disk head 15 upon its outer actuated end. A main cover casing 16 is mounted upon a base plate 17 adapted to be secured to a staof the automobile and throughthe central boss 18 of which plate said crank section 13 ,is journaled. v

A cup-shaped cage 19 is slidably mounted within said case while the disk head 15 is nrovably positioned in the cage. The forward portion of the case is provided with an inwardly-extending boss 20 for journaling the main crank section 21 having an inner disk head 22 1 ing flatly adjacent and similar to the head "tioned Within the cage 19, the outer end of the crank section 21 being extended into a handle 23 and normally projected outwardly by the encircling helical spring 24 positioned within a socket 25 of said inward boss.

The heads 15 and22 functionally serve as frictional clutch plates and if desired a free intermediate frictional or fiber plate 26 may 5 be inserted while a ball bearing plate 27 is desirable between the inner head 15 and the adjacent bottom 28 of the cage. While the inner head 15 is provided for free rotary as well as longitudinal movement, the outer head 22 may freely move longitudinally within the cage 19 but is restrained from re-l I volving relatively thereto by the lugs 2 9'of ;said head moving within the grooves 30 of the cage which thereby directs the sliding movement of the head, although as hereincage 19 as well as move longitudinally with gthreaded into an enlarged opening in the cover v 32 of the cage and between said collar and the outer periphery of the inner boss Patented Nov. 4, 1913.-

position and also showing the preferred form of pawl returning means. Fig. 3 is a 15 and likewise posiafter pointed out said inner head 22 may, under certain conditions,- revolve with the;

said cage and relatively of the case16. Anexteriorly threaded collar 31 is screw tionary support or the adjacent framework ilitlii bottom 28 of the cage 19, and adapted for engaging the teeth thereof a plurality of toothed pawls 37 are provided mounted in the base 17 of the case. a

For limiting the movement of the engaging pawls 37 as well as for returning them to the seated position are preferably employed the pawl stop 38 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and which constitutes the preferred form of pawl returning means, although separate springs, such as 39", may be em ployed for each pawl as shown in Fig. 1. Said pawl plate 38 is provided with a peripheral stop 39 for each one of the pawls 37 so positioned as to engage the under side of each pawl for limiting movement away from and returning said pawls to their position within the seats 40 of the base 17. A tensioned spiral spring 41 is secured at one end tothe pawl stop 38 and at the other end to the base 17 and adapted to be further tensioned by the movement of the pawls with the 1'ack 36 upon a sliding outwardly of the cage 19 and also to make a return revolution of the stop whenever the pawls have been actuated by or have become disengaged from the teeth 36.

With the elements positioned as shown in Fig. 2, the crank is normally held out of engagement with the shaft end 10 by the outward tendency of the spring 24 and for the purpose of starting the engine the crank portion 21 is forced inwardly against said spring and thus moving the cage 19 and the parts contained therein to the operative position shown in Fig. 1, and with the free end of the crank section 13 operatively engaging the shaft end 10. The spring 34 under regulation of the collar 31 setting the clutch members in an engagement sufficiently strong to allow their simultaneous movement under the influence of the crank handle 21, and turning of the latter revolves not only the clutch heads 22 and 15 with their clutch disks 26 and 27 but also carries therewith the cage 19 whose toothed flange 36 freely ratchets over the teeth of the pawls 37 in the cranking direction. Such a turning of the parts results in giving the initial movement to the engine shaft 11.

Should a sudden reverse movement be given to the shaft by the engine as in a kick back, the sudden reverse rotation of the crank section 13 and its head 15 may result in turning said head relatively to the companion head 22 if such engine movement .and whereupon such movement of the crank section 13 entirely disengages the crank from the shaft end 10. From such an operation of elements, it will be seen that the operator of the crank handle 23 will be uninjured from any unusual movement of the engine shaft 11 whether a disengagement of the clutch allows the handle to re main stationary and the crank section 13 to revolve with the shaft, or whether the heads remain clutched to move longitudinally together with the cage and both crank sections with the section 13 operatively disengaged from the shaft. The tension spring 41 having then gained tension acts by means of the stops 39 to return the pawls 37 to their seats 40-, leaving the cage 19 in its outermost position to be again actuated inwardly to close theclutch and engage the shaft 11. This return seating of the pawls 37 will be effected whenever the pawls become disengaged from the teeth and a disengagement thereof will be assisted by the reverse movement ofthe stops 39 when the cage is in its outermost position.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 and in which the same gen eral principles are employed, the stationary casing 42 is mounted upon a base 43, the latter having pivoted pawls 44 engaging the teeth of a disk member 45 of the hollow conical clutch member 46 having an outer stem 47 with a turning crank 48 for actuating the same. An inner crank section 49 adapted for removable engagement with the engine shaft has the corresponding conical clutch section 50 on its inner end positioned within said clutch section 46. A rod 51 extends through the shaft 47 and the clutch sections to the interior of the section 50 and is provided with the head 52 between which sults in disengaging the clutch cones unless I the same are too firmly set for such action to result and in which latter event, the pawls 44 which normally allow the'clutch sections to ratchet thereover in the cranking operation, impart a longitudinal outward movement to both clutch-members and the crank section 49 in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 2 and whereby the crank is disengaged from the shaft.

While the forms of the invention herein shown and described are what are believed to be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proportion or details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An engine starter comprisin an outer I outwardly and rotary resilient means encircling said shaft for returning said pawls.

2. An engine starter comprising an outer and an inner crank shaft, a shaft engaging means upon said inner shaft, cooperating clutch members fixed to the adjacent ends of 'said clutch members, teeth upon said receiver adjacent said pawls, said receiver, clutch members, and shafts adapted for limited outward movement upon a rocking of said pawls. a Y

3. An engine starter comprising an outer and an inner crank shaft, a shaft engaging "means uponv said, inner shaft, cooperating clutch members fixed to the adjacent ends of said shafts, adjustable resilient means en'- gaging said clutch members, said clutch members and shafts adapted for, free rotation in one direction, a stationary member, pawls pivoted to the latter, arotary-receiver for said clutch members, a rotary spring actuated pawl stop engaging said pawls, a stationary case for said receiver, anti-friction members between said case and receiver, and means for rotating said outer shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. OBERT...

Witnesses:

A. B. FORMAN, H. M. GARDNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G.

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